Belichick takes another chance on a “wild child”

Posted by Mike Florio on November 1, 2012, 7:57 PM EST

AP

Last year, when Patriots coach Bill Belichick swung post-lockout trades for defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth and receiver Chad Ochocinco, many said that Belichick would have been criticized heavily for the move if he didn’t have the benefit of the doubt that comes from having three pelts on the wall. And so the moves were regarded as another example of his genius.

Even an idiot could see that, in hindsight, the trades cried out for criticism.

So will Belichick be criticized for rolling the dice on a player his former head coach once called a “wild child“? Belichick gave up a fourth-round pick for Bucs cornerback Aqib Talib and a seventh-round selection, a significant investment for a player who currently is on suspension for using Adderall and whose rookie contract expires after the season.

Is Talib talented? Yes. Is he troubled? Yes. Is he on a one-strike arrangement in New England? Undoubtedly.

Talib has had more than a few second chances. He had multiple failed marijuana tests in college. His coaches at Kansas had nothing good to say about him prior to the 2008 draft. He got into a fight with a teammate at the rookie symposium. He swung a helmet at left tackle Donald Penn during practice and busted another teammate in the face with it. He’s had multiple arrests. He’s now suspended.

Belichick surely sees this as a low-risk, high-reward proposition. If Talib stays on the right path, he will instantly upgrade the New England secondary. And if the Pats can squat on his rights with a long-term deal that favors the team in the short term and rewards Talib if he plays well, they’ll get more than seven regular-season games out of their fourth-round pick.

This is a trade the Patriots had to make. Their run defense is outstanding (ranked #8), and they can apply some pressure to the QB with Jones and Ninkovich, who have 10 sacks between them. The offense is, as always, excellent (ranked #1). It’s the secondary that is killing the Pats, so Belichick must do whatever he can to shore it up. After all, Brady can’t play forever; the window is closing. So he gives up a 4th round pick. Big deal. The Patriots still have their picks for the first three rounds of the 2013 draft.

Even Sanchez looked good against the Pats secondary, so they had to do something. Hopefully Talib has the sense to realize how important the next few months are to his NFL future and post-playing prosperity.

NE better hope they don’t face the Giants again in the Super Bowl with Aqib. Hakeem Nicks lit him up like a Xmas Tree and Nicks did it on one leg. 10 receptions for 199 yards. If the replacements refs didn’t let Aqib hang allover Nicks, he would have gone for over 250 yds.

Bill is batting about .500 on these problem cases, and Talib seems a little worse than normal. Be interesting to see how this works out. Cant say om crazy about the move, but the Pats do need the help in the secondary.

Last year Belichick made it to the Super Bowl. So what if Albert and Chad didn’t work out, the Patriots were still better than 30 teams. Belichick is out there trying to win games. Every call is not right, but he gets it right more them almost every other team.

Belichick brought his team to the Super Bowl last year. That alone gives him tons of leverage and credibility his success allows him to take risks.

Plus for all the criticism those two moves (Haynesworth and Ochocinco) brought him he still added Brian Waters who played at an elite level, and Anderson and Carter those three guys worked out pretty well. Can’t just point out the bad you have to point out the moves that worked as well.

There is no risk involved with these trades. That’s the whole point. The Haynesworth and Ochocinco trades failed miserably and had NO negative effect on the team. They made the Super Bowl. They aren’t throwing out huge contracts to these guys nor are they giving up high draft picks. That’s why they’re being done. I’d like to see the numbers on 4th round draft choices. I would be willing to bet that less than 50% start more than one season. Talib fails? No skin off their back. On to the next one.

Schiano gave Bill the inside scoop. He said, “Look, this guy’s good, but he’s already on his fourth chance here in Tampa. I’ve GOT to move him if I want to be able to have any credibility with the rest of the roster!”

Pats must be getting worried about all those great wr in their division!
Seriously though, he’s got all the physical tools.
It’s a low risk even if he’s gone after this year.
IF, and yes that’s a big if, they can get his head straight (it’s your last chance kind of speech) he should be able to contribute to a injury torn beleaguered secondary.
I would love to hear the anti-Ireland bunch in Miami if he’d pulled the trigger on this deal.

I’m a Pats fan here in the Tampa region. Gotta laugh at you Buc fans that think this guy all of a sudden sucks. Two months ago Talib was one of the best players on that team. Now he is gone and according to some of the drivel on the local sports talk radio he’s not capable of tying his shoes. Maybe now that he has moved on they will see a second game sold out. London calling?

They don’t always do so hot with those mid rounders any way. They have a pretty deep roster. If a 4th rounder was gonna make the team next year he would have had to have been a steal. This is a good risk. Some of these he Whiffs on some he knocks out of the park. Kraft gives him the leeway to take chances like this.

Seems like this guy can play. Corey Dillon could still play. Moss too back then. Chad ? Not so much. Haynesworth ? He didn’t even WANT to play. We’ll find out what this dude’s deal is soon enough.

I remember when (prior to everyone realizing that Belichick was a cheater) that the Patriots were known as a team that would never take a chance on guys with questionable character, because they were above that. High and mighty. Stallworth, Ocho, Meriweather, now Talib shows it was all a sham. Bill never would have won a SB without the tuck rule and Brady.

This is a trade the Patriots had to make. Their run defense is outstanding (ranked #8), and they can apply some pressure to the QB with Jones and Ninkovich, who have 10 sacks between them. The offense is, as always, excellent (ranked #1). It’s the secondary that is killing the Pats, so Belichick must do whatever he can to shore it up. After all, Brady can’t play forever; the window is closing. So he gives up a 4th round pick. Big deal. The Patriots still have their picks for the first three rounds of the 2013 draft.
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Not sure what Belichick should be criticized for. The Pat’s secondary is awful. This trade immediately improves their Achilles heel.

In fact, I think you could rightly criticize Belichick for not making the secondary and even the defense more of a priority in the last couple of years. Brady only has 3-4 years of elite football left. Bill should have gone all in a couple of years ago IMO.

I am glad to see he is doing that now, by moving up in the draft for marquee players and making trades to get talent here, but it is long past due.

Bottom line this is a potential huge upgrade over the released Sterling Moore. At best Aqib plays to his potential and improves the secondary which is the only weakness of the team. If Aqib drinks the pats Koolaid he signs with the pats next year allowing the team to draft a postion other than db with their 1st pick (o-line or d-line pass rusher). This gamble for a low 4th rounder which rarely is an impact pick (teams overvalue draft picks).

Talib has excellent raw talent. Against the Ravens, he got a hand on a ball, caught it between his ankles, rolled over with it, and got up and ran. Against Dallas a few weeks ago, he had an excellent jump on the ball to pick off a pass. He is strong at undercutting routes.

That said, he often bites on the first move (see Akeem Nicks). In trail technique, he often jumps too early, and in general, he is still too inconsistent to be regarded as an “elite” DB.

At to his off-field problems, I sensed a major change in him with this new coaching staff this season. The adderall was more a error in judgment than an error in heart. I don’t think this was just a matter of brooming him. I hope he works out for you.

@ barneyfife,
He’s made the secondary a priority in the draft in round 1-4 for awhile. The problem is the guys he’s drafted haven’t worked out. He definitely deserves critique for those picks.

He’s been slowly rebuilding the rest of the defense, that can’t happen overnight. There’s only guy left from the 09 defense who was starting then and is starting now (Wilfork). That’s a pretty major rebuild.

Tampa fans know more about defense than any Patriot coach or fan. PERIOD!! Tampa 2 wasn’t named after the Hoodie, and he NEVER has a good defense.

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And that defense has won you how many Super Bowls? One, which is two less than what we won with an undeniably great defense which was much better than any defense Tampa Bay put together with Simeon Rice and Warren Sapp and Tampa has been a punchline ever since then

quadya says:
where else can known felons not only get a job but get paid a lot of money to do it…?

Are you being facetious? Try investment banking, advertising, or any job with big dollars that does not require a professional certification (eg., CPA, lawyer). The wealthy, if they are white (e.g., Stewart, Milken, Keating, Abramoff), do not do hard time and often live quite well after being released. Usually (think our recent banking scandel) charges are not even brought).

Pat fans you don’t watch football. Eli and Romo tourched talib. His only picks are over thrown balls or undr thrown balls. He is not that good

To say that Pat’s fans do not watch football is absurd. You have to watch football to be a fan of any team. If you are going to criticize an entire fan base at least put some thought into it. Also the Patriots secondary can’t even pick the ball off from under/over throws so Talib is a definite step up from who they are putting on the field at this point.

Also….You have to watch football to become a fan of any team. Logic is a crazy thing